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Monday, August 30, 2010

This is just a friendly reminder about my turquoise necklace giveaway.

I am still traveling with my husband as his sidekick.This time we are in New Normal.Right now as I edit this post, I have cinnamon rolls in the oven at my daughter's house- waiting for my oldest grandson to wake up for school.You KNOW that makes me happy.

All you have to do is

*Comment on this post and let me know that you are a follower,

and…

*If you would like to participate by becoming a follower of the crazy, straight from the heart ramblings at the core of

White Spray Paint,

please join in.

and..

*If you post about the giveaway , I’ll do some other sort of mathematical wizardry and count you in again. Just let me know.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Early on in my coursework as a journalism minor, I learned 2 powerful lessons.

The first dealt with writing the lead of any good story.

The key facts, the important information, are all front loaded so that it sort of tumbles out and reaches a calm end.

This makes for one of those impressive run-on sentences that tells you the whole story- right up front.

Some would say the purpose for this is to accurately inform the reader as quickly as you can because chances are, they are not going to read to the end.

What a shame.

(Please keep reading!)

In any event, I love writing leads.

They are what I like to call dice throwing sentences.

The second journalistic experience I had that was life changing was Harry Quin’s photography class, my senior year in college.

Mr. Quinn required us to complete a photo essay for our semester project, and we had to develop our own film, from a 35mm camera, in a darkroom.

I was terrified and exhilarated all at the same time.

There was something so down to earth, so demanding and exacting about Harry Quin, I didn’t want to disappoint him.

It occurs to me as I write this that his personality modeled what is the best of journalism-

the down to earth-the demand for high standards-and the unadorned.

Several years later I realized the magical mystery tour God had me on when I visited a church that would later become my church home, and lo and behold, there was Harry Quin and his wife Betsy.

In describing them, Pillars of the Church does not suffice.

Pillars of the Earth does.

And so , back to my current world of photography and blogging.

The photo above ( that you saw earlier this past week) is the top of this.

This ability, regardless of how simplistic, is so much fun for me.

I have a Canon Xsi and 3 lenses:

Canon 18-55 mm lens

(the stock lens that came with the camera)

Canon 55-250 mm lens

(that I purchased during my nephew’s basketball season- I should have purchased Scott Kelby’s book on photography first, and I would have realized my folly in trying to shoot live sports shots in a gym- I did however learn one important tip-

if you know where the athlete is headed- ie. the basket- aim there and wait)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

For the last two days we have been in a small South Texas town that is currently experiencing an oil boom.

(there is a post brewing in my thinking on this topic, but that is for another day)

So, left to my own devices, while my husband and his colleagues took care of business obligations, I explored , sat in a window booth at a local restaurant multiple times, drove to another town 40 miles away to explore some more, and read James Lee Burke’s latest Dave Robicheaux novel titled The Glass Rainbow.

While sitting in my booth one day at lunch, as my friend JB would say,

I got into

“some more of my business”

which translates to

NONE of my business.

I couldn’t help myself.

It is that edifying compulsion.

Later, after I told my husband what I had done,he said I should have my own radio show, offering advice to all who call in,

called

Talking Across Texas.

Call in folks! You didn’t know you needed advice, but Laura’s in the house, and

SHE THINKS YOU DO!

This is what I did…

I noticed the attire of the three young waitresses in the restaurant as well as the predominantly male clientele.

I also noticed a little too much familiarity.

From my stake-out position, I observed this on multiple occasions.

I made my decision.

I may as well have changed clothes in a phone booth- from my cropped pants and Yellowbox jeweled flip flops to

Monday, August 23, 2010

Monday, August 23rd, will be a big day for you because that is the day you will meet my grandson Harrison.

He will be excited to meet you, as will his mother.

I know this because I took her to school on her first day of school.

It is now her glorious, wonderful turn. Thank you God for ongoing, inherited, ancestral blessings.

There are a few things that I would like you to know.

*He is very, very smart.

This is not bias. This is fact. By knowing this ahead of time, you will be able to enjoy it when he says “well, actually...”

This usually prefaces a very polite correction.

Enjoy it. It can be great fun waiting to see where his thinking will lead. As adults we don’t always have to be right, do we?

The smartest teachers I know, and I know quite a few, actually enjoy it when their students are right. Just something to think about.

One of my favorite teaching memories occurred when one of my high school students said,"No, that’s not right either”, after I answered one of his questions.

That makes me laugh thinking about it.

I hope you are laughing reading about it.

You are, aren’t you?

*He is very kind and generous. He enjoys the company of others , and he will never intentionally hurt another’s feelings. His nature is inclusive, not exclusive.

He enjoys order, and he will follow the rules.

You know there is a difference between a rule and a procedure. Procedures are the way to go; they make all the cylinders click in a classroom.

Rules are all after the fact and punitive. Rules become abstract- procedures build self-discipline. Again…just a thought.

*He is great with his hands, and he is very analytical- which we both know is a powerful combination. He can take an advanced Star Wars Legos kit, labeled far beyond his age, study the illustrations, and assemble it completely- all without reading the instructions.

He also has a large collection of Pokemon cards, and his knowledge of various Animal Planet series will help you teach your other students about animals- especially your lessons on fish and the occasional river monster.

I hope you will ask him about these hobbies and interests.

*He loves to fish with his Dad and his younger brother.

He goes fishing often. If he wants to talk to you or his classmates about his fishing experiences and prowess, please let him do so.

He DOES NOT exaggerate. He ALWAYS tells the truth.

*He is an 'old soul' of the best kind. Allow that to grow unfettered. You will be amazed if you do.

Oh- and one last thing.

His mother and I like to ask questions.

You know- the usual-

“How was your day?” “Who did you sit by during lunch?” “Did you enjoy your lunch?” “Who did you play with on the playground today?”

Please encourage all of your students to answer their mother’s and grandmother’s questions cheerfully. That is such an important life skill, don’t you think?

Good luck. You are in for the greatest teaching year of your life.

Sincerely,

Ma- Do

PS. Let me know if you need anything. I am just seven hours away, and I can be there at a moment’s notice.

PSS. He gave me my grandmother name, and I will treasure it always. In case you need to know, it is pronounced Ma (short a sound) and Do (long o sound- as in Just Do It!) His little brother calls me Do.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Several months ago, at what should have been bedtime, I found a blog, and I was so floored by the house, and the sort of “hey” (insert finger snapping) personality of its owner, I stayed up for hours reading and nodding YES.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

This afternoon, while making King Ranch Chicken, my eye was caught by what I saw the second time I looked.

In taking a closer look, I was reminded of something important about the things I love that are in my home.

This white ceramic charger is a favorite, but it is the edging that really makes me smile.

I noticed that again when I looked closer.

On the same dining table , this iron pedestal tray holding my Spode bread box, is another favorite.

I began to look closer.

And so I made a little vuelta (round) around my house,

taking a second look,

looking a little closer,

and thinking about the process and the method and how looking at something all at once doesn’t always

honor

the process in creating it.

Things are rarely what they seem.

This sculpture-to my eye- is about pulling pink tights on 3 little girls with chubby legs and brushing out tangles and putting giant bows in their hair, to take them to dancing lessons at Melba’s, year after year.

My milk glass collection has a story too long to tell, but it is its carved detail that tells the real story.

As does the cutwork on an old headboard in the guest room, or the fretwork in a mantel piece, or the simplicity of a spray painted basket.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

My relationship with Franciscan Renaissance began in the early 70’s, and it has never ended.

First I fell for Platinum Renaissance.

And because my husband could somehow see down the road of my collecting nature, and even though we were only in our 20s and did not have china in our budget (that’s an understatement), when the small gift shop in Falfurrias, Texas called to say it was being discontinued, he agreed that we should get 12 place settings.

***

Notes about china to young brides, according to Laura:

*select something beautiful that you love that your family and friends can buy without hyperventilating (you can buy your own sheets and towels and other disposable items that only have a brief life anyway)

*my version of a place setting in those days was more streamlined- it was the dinner plate, the salad plate, and the cup and saucer (my family was never going to eat cereal, ice cream, watermelon, chili, or vegetable soup out of a small china bowl)

***

Years later I discovered Franciscan Grey Renaissance. It had a gold rim. Oh my.

Because this discovery happened during the good old days of Ebay, when you really could treasure hunt and not spend Replacements’ prices, my quest began.

My youngest daughter discovered the third pattern in this amazing line which is Gold Renaissance.

This one was VERY HARD for me. I collected this for her, again with Ebay’s help, without getting it for myself.

Link Within

For me, life's greatest moments are found in the company of family,my grandsons,laughing friends, and in the simple things.Throw in trips to the flea market and days when my zinnias are blooming, and I am in heaven.